Since we launched our Feroz heel grip, dozens of little ones with podiatric conditions have already benefited from it, so they can enjoy the advantages of wearing our minimalist shoes.
The project started two years ago with the idea that children with a condition requiring orthopaedic insoles shouldn't have to give up wearing Feroz, since until then the very features of a barefoot shoe weren't compatible with using them.
The first lab tests showed that even in a stiffer shoe with a heel counter, the children's feet rolled into valgus more than they did in Feroz shoes, all the more reason to design a device that would let these children with podiatric conditions wear shoes suited to the health of their feet without giving up the orthopaedic treatment they need.
Turning to specific orthopaedic shoes, on top of that, meant a significant outlay for families. With this removable device for barefoot shoes, we made it possible to have several pairs to alternate between, as the heel grip can be fitted into any of our shoes and comes in two size ranges: S from size 28 to 30 and M from size 31 to 33. All with the purchase of a single device, at a very affordable price.
Over these two years the process has been intense and painstaking, in both design and production, until we found a solution that overcame every hurdle: from the height needed at the back of the shoe so the heel wouldn't slip out when using corrective insoles, which raise the heel inside the shoe, to achieving the right firmness to provide support without taking away the ground contact the foot needs to receive.
In the final phase of the project, once we had prototypes, two excellent podiatrists, Roberto Pascual and Neus Moya, gave us great support and encouragement as we fine-tuned the last details to get them just right.
It was with great excitement that we registered the heel grip and finally launched it in December 2021, and since then we've kept in touch with many of the families who were the first to use our device, so we can hear first-hand how it's going for them and where we can improve.
Families' experiences
Nora is so happy with them, because they're comfortable and warm, that now when she puts on her trainers she complains they squash her toes.
The heel grip arrived like a Christmas present, just in time to finally wear a brand-new pair of Feroces.
"Daniela doesn't get as tired, she doesn't complain about her calves or her feet, she says she can run without her foot slipping backwards and, most importantly, she's so happy with them that she showed them to all her classmates and teachers at school. They're her super shoes for running reeeeally fast".
👩🔬 A very important part of our design process has come from working with several podiatrists, whose opinion is still very valuable to us in every individual check-up they carry out with the children who wear our heel grip.
💁🏻 Our heel grip is the culmination of a project made out of love for little ones and guided by the goal that has driven us from the start: to offer the best barefoot shoe option; healthy, comfortable, durable, beautiful and affordable, without leaving anyone out.
